In recent years, communications networks such as the Internet have become popular for their ability to enable people to communicate a virtually limitless variety of information across great distances. More importantly, the development of the Internet has enabled persons even with relatively little technical training to find, send and receive information using a browsing device (e.g. a personal computer or a television set-top box (STB)) running a browser program (e.g. MICROSOFT® Internet Explorer or Netscape Navigator). This, in turn, has led to meteoric growth in Internet use.
One Internet feature which has gained particular popularity provides for real-time text conversations between users. These conversations, referred to as “chat”, typically involve a number of individuals, each of whom is in communication with a chat server where messages from each participant are received for distribution to all other participants. Once received by the chat server, the messages are available to the browsing devices where they are presented to respective participants. The chat server thus establishes a virtual “chat room” where participants can carry on a text conversation over the Internet.
Due to the vast number of Internet users, and the similarly vast number of chat rooms, it has become common practice to define a topic for discussion in a given chat room. The topic may be defined by agreement of the participants, but more typically is established by the chat service provider upon creation of the chat room. The topic may be maintained by the chat service provider policing the chat room, and limiting participation to those who engage in discussion on the defined topic. Alternatively, the chat room may be controlled by the participants themselves. In either event, however, the chat room typically is a somewhat permanent fixture available to participants throughout the day.
In order to access the Internet, many users subscribe to Internet access services which provide a convenient standardized interface between users and the vast number of Internet sites. One such Internet access service is the WEBTV® Internet access network (WEBTV is a registered trademark of WebTV Networks, Inc. of Mountain View, Calif.). The WEBTV Internet access network links a large number of browsing devices, referred to as client terminals, with at least one host server which directs the flow of information to and from the client terminals. The client terminals are connected to the host server via conventional modem pools, either by Integrated Services Digital Network (ISDN) connections, telephone lines, or other data links. Using these connections, users are able to access informational sites established by Internet publishers, and are able to access “chat rooms” whereby they may participate in interactive text conversations online. The host server also may offer supplemental services, such as email, news reports, television program guides, and enhanced access to certain web pages for subscribers of the service.
Although chat rooms are accessible to most users of the Internet, it can sometimes be difficult to find a chat room directed to a particular topic, especially when that topic has a limited period of relevance. Chat rooms relating to television programs fall into this category. For example, a chat room relating to a particular television show is of greatest interest for a short period around the time the show is aired. Unfortunately, there may not be a permanent chat room dedicated to a particular show where viewers can congregate and, even where such a chat room exists, a viewer may have difficulty locating the particular chat room and thus may be discouraged from experiencing chat rooms.
In the past, some television broadcasters have attempted to make chat available to viewers by providing chat rooms related to particular programming. Others have attempted to incorporate selected excerpts from relevant chat rooms into the broadcast itself. However, until now, viewers have not been provided with a system and method whereby they are able to simultaneously view a video program and participate in a chat room related to the video program using the same display. Moreover, viewers have been unable to select a chat option while viewing a video program so that the viewers may chat during the video program.